Rolling ladders are a key part of any commercial business, but they inherently represent a significant risk to the employees who will be using them throughout their time on the job. After all, there’s something a bit dangerous about putting a typical ladder on wheels and hoping for the best. With the right safety measures, however, it’s easy to make sure that each employee remains safe even as they climb to the top step in a typical rolling ladder.
Safety features for rolling ladders begin with the strut, which essentially refers to the steps that employees will be using as the climb the ladder itself. Rolling ladders are designed a bit different than traditional ladders, and look more like a typical staircase on wheels. This is actually a bit safer in and of itself, but this rolling “staircase” must be supplemented by a firm strut that almost grabs an employee’s shoes and holds them to the ladder while they use it.
The Grip Strut: Ensuring Employee Safety Easily and Efficiently
The best way to make sure that an accidental slip doesn’t turn into a dangerous fall is to find a rolling ladder that employs a grip strut. A grip strut is essentially a step that is designed with holes in it. The strut itself looks almost as if two different pieces of metal have been weaved together, forming a grid that is designed to grab onto an employee’s footwear and keep them from slipping in the wrong direction.
The grip strut is effective because it uses harsh metal edges with holes in the strut itself. This causes the rubber on most shoes to have more traction on grip struts than they would on smooth metal versions of steps found in many other rolling ladders. In environments where shoes are frequently dirty or wet, this type of strut is even safer. Its unique way of generating traction isn’t very susceptible to the slipperiness of dust or water, like other forms of struts generally are.
Go for the Full Package When Ensuring Worker Safety
Grip struts are a key way to ensure that employees remain safe as they climb a rolling ladder, but they’re not the only way to prevent injuries on the job. A rolling ladder should also come with guard rails along either side of the steps, which will help to prevent against losses of balance. In addition to guard rails and grip struts, a safe rolling ladder should feature brakes on all four of its wheels. This prevents against the nightmare scenario of a ladder on the move, even while its occupant is still performing their work.
Contact Douglas Equipment When Ordering Rolling Safety Ladders
For the safest and highest-quality rolling ladders on the market, be sure to contact Douglas Equipment. We’ve been serving commercial and industrial customers for the past half-century, and we know exactly how to ensure efficiency and safety on the job for each of our customers and their employees. Contact us today and see how we can help your business get the job done.
